Wire chain-link



7(No Model.)

l H. L. PERRISL WIRE CHAIN LINK. No. 562,519. Patented June 23, 1896.

hire 12 yn Ilmrnn Stains ATENT Fries.

WIRE CHAIN-LINK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 562,519, dated. June 23, 1896.

Application filed March 21, 1896. $erial No. 584,209. N0 m del) To all whont it may concern;

Be it known that I, IIENRY L. FERRIS, of Harvard, in the county of Mcl-Ienry and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and use ful Improvements in ire Link Chains; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to improvements in links for wire chains; and it has for its object the production of a novel form of link made from a single piece of wire, at once simple, strong, and durable, and less liable to become distorted or twisted in use than similar links as heretofore commonly constructed.

The invention consists in the matters hereinafter described, and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims, and will be readily understood by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a view of the wire blank from which the link is formed. Fig. 2 is a view of the same after the S-shaped bend, constituting the first step in forming the link, has been made. loops have been formed and before the terminal ends of the blank have been fastened. Fig. 4 is a plan view of the completed link. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the same. Fig. 6 is a sectional view of the completed link, taken upon line 6 6 of Fig. 4, the direction of view beingindicated by the arrows thereon.

Referring to said drawings, A designates as a whole the blank which may be successively bent or shaped to bring it to its required final form, as follows:

The straight blank A is first bent between its ends to form an S-shaped portion about midway of its length. The ends a a of the blank project oppositely therefrom and parallel with each other, being. separated laterally by a distance equal to the full width of the finished link, or, in other words, with the S-shaped portion arranged transversely with relation to the general direction of the blank, as shown in Fig. 5. Preferably, and as shown in the present instance, the bend 063 a, form- Fig. 3 is view of the blank after the ing the S-shaped portion of the link, will be relatively deep, as shown. portions a 6A2 of the blank is next bent upon itself about midway of its length to form loops (designated as a whole by A A respectively) arranged to extend in the same plane. The end parts co a are each again bent at a point I) a short distance from their extreme ends, and in a direction at right angles to the general plane of the link, the bends being in opposite directions to each other. Each of the right-angled portions a (i thus formed is inserted through the bend of the S-shaped part opposite to and curved reversely from. that part of which said end forms a continuati9nthat is to say, the end portion a is inserted through the bend a and the end portion a is inserted through the bend c as clearly indicated in Fig. 3. Each of the terminal ends a a is next bent over laterally so as to extend across the link and engage the opposite member of the adjacent loop, about which said member the extreme end is finally coiled, as indicated at a a Owing to the fact that the bends of the'S-shaped portion are relatively deep, the parts a a will extend across the link at points some distance apart, and substantially parallel with each other.

A link constructed in accordance with the foregoing description possesses important features of advantage. The peculiar manner in which the different parts of the link are interlocked, as described, renders the link extremely rigid at its central part, so that it is exceptionally well adapted to resist torsional strains, which might tend to twist the link as a whole. At the same time, the construction is such that the transverse parts of the link constitute a pair of cross-bars, with either or both of which a hook or other fastening device may be engaged, without injury to or distortion of the link, in the event of its being desirable to lengthen or shorten the chain a distance equal to one-half of a single link. A link constructed as above described, further more, presents a smooth exterior well adapted to run through guides without interference, or over a guide-pulley or the like. At the same time, the construction is such as to enable the link to sustain an endwise strain Each of the said 1 the middle part of the S-shaped portion and finally coiled around its own opposite side member, substantially as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I aflix my signature, in presence of two Witnesses, this 24th day of February, A. D. 1896.

HENRY L. FERRIS.

lVitnessos:

L. E. NORTON, J. L. KINSON. 

